King the Land (2023)

Delivers what it promises

This drama is the perfect rom-com for me. The story is cute and inspiring, the casting and acting are great, and most importantly it delivers plenty of funny and heart-fluttering moments as a rom-com should. The plot isn’t overly complicated, but it’s still well paced and logical, not making it boring as in some other dramas that focus only on the relationship of the two leads. Plus there’s an element of mistery to the past of the ML which keeps you intrigued.

*Spoilers ahead!

Things that I particularly enjoyed:
• despite the cliches, the relationships feel more mature, realistic and healthier than your usual kdrama
• not your stereotypical one-dimensional characters (for example the rich father doing the most to split the main couple)
• portrayal of wholesome friendships
• the FL taking her own path rather than having her destiny dictated by the ML (typical Cinderella story)

Things I particularly disliked:

• not so happy ending for some of the second leads (Sang-shik who ends up still alone and Da-eul who stays with her joke of a husband)

Overall this drama kept me engaged from start to end and managed to make me feel connected to the characters which is a must to keep my interest as a viewer.

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A bit overrated ROMCOM

It is a very classic rich guy poor girl ROMCOM drama where the guy is the boss of the girl. The guy falls in love first. It's a very lovey-dovey romance drama.
In contrast to the classic misunderstandings, there are hardly any in this drama. No villain or anything. Everything is good and sweet.
To be honest the whole drama is unrealistically sweet. I don't support unnecessary misunderstandings or crazy villains but I feel no one's life is all roses. There should have been some ups and downs in the story rather than it all being rosey.
The plot was dragged way too much. There were so many episodes where we could only see romance and no plot progression at all. There were no details on the hotel business or emphasis on how much Gu Won was working towards the hotel and his dreams. It was all about how much Gu Won was doing for Sarang which also I feel was a bit downplayed in the drama.
I really don't like how they wrapped up Da Eul's story. It was as if the writers did not spend any effort on it. Pyung Hwa's story was nice and sweet, I think they were my favorite couple.
Gu Hwa Ran's story felt very incomplete. No proper closure for her. It's like 2-3 words of 'we are a family' by Gu Won melted her heart and she was all good.
The mother chapter was also wrapped up short and quick. 5 minutes of Gu Won crying and the next instant it was as if everything was always fine and happy.
The forced cliffhangers throughout the episodes were very annoying.
Another point I would like to mention is the romance escalated too quickly. You can't connect with either of the leads. Its like they meet and now they are madly in love with each other.
It is a good drama if you just wanna pass the time and watch something extremely chill and heartwarming . But I think they could have added more to the story than just feeding the audience with romance scenes.
I would say the drama is a bit overrated but if ROMCOMs are your thing then you should give it a try.

PS: I might have been a bit harsh in expressing my opinions. I guess this could be because I had very high expectations from the drama and the review is also one of my ways to express disappointment

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You Only Have One Life to Live, So Be Happy

This Kdrama resonated with me in a significant way. I grew up in a single-parent family visiting my dad in the summers. He would always say to me, "What I want most for you is to be happy in life. If you ever find you are unhappy, figure out why and change it." This story embodied this same wisdom from my father.

I know there were many who found fault with this Kdrama. I'm not going to disagree with any as I respect people's right to their individual opinions. That said....here is my opinion. One of the best dramas in 2023.

First, it has a great storyline. You don't have to give in to parental and societal pressures, you can forge your own path. Gu Won and Cheon Sa Rang were individuals first who knew what they wanted in life, what was important, and made decisions that represented these values. They were authentic to themselves first then came together as a couple. A representation of a healthy relationship.

Second, employees help make companies great so they should be appreciated and rewarded as such. Instead of looking as people in a hierarchal-type of existence, see people in terms of their contribution towards the end goal and reward them for hard work. My favorite scene was when the employees of the smaller King hotel were seeing the space that would become the employee lounge. Also, Sa Rang's work on her own vision and dream of a hotel. I'm so glad the writers and producers gave a space in this story to the dream of a visionary woman.

Lastly, the acting was superb. Whether comedy, drama, vicious drama, action, or heartwarming scenes between friends, family, and lovers, the acting was superb. My favorite Korean actor is Lee JunHo. As always, the commitment he gives to the profession, whether its music, acting, modeling, or just being himself, is of the highest value, is exemplary, and worthy of respect. I also add Im Yoon Ah to this category as I was blown away by her performance. Their interaction was sublime and perfect. I also want to give respect to Kim Sun Young (she was so delightfully vicious, well done!!), Kim Dong Ha (such angst at such a young age), Go Won Hee and Kim Ga Eun (BFF's forever!!), Ah Se Ha (this story would not be a story without his comedic contribution), Kim Jae Won (the perfect boyfriend), Kim Young Ok (I have seen her in so many dramas and she is superb!!!), and lastly Son Byung Ho (he gave the perfect performance for someone who has lots of regrets). The acting in this drama was top-notch.

There have been many good dramas this year...one could almost dub 2023 as the year of great Kdramas. So far, King the Land is my favorite and what I consider the best drama of 2023. Congratulations to the writers, producers, actors, and production staff for this drama. Well done!!! I hope you were rewarded in a King the Land fashion because you deserve it!!!

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This drama was simply love?

In a climate full of dramatic storylines, wild plot twists and exaggerated characters...this drama is a breathe of fresh air.

It firmly stuck to the romance genre and delivered on all levels. the main characters were really made for each other, their personalities merged together and gave all the butterflies a kdrama lover would want.

All the supporting characters were so pleasant: the 6 siblings, Sa-rangs grand mother and even Gu wons father. The antagonist was just a formality, she was honestly quite insignificant to me and her petty vendetta against Won didn't even phase him.

It was such a pure love story, without most clichés (childhood connection, love hate, friends to lovers, major family disapproval)...in some ways it's simplicity made if feel unrealistic but sometimes we want to run away from reality through these stories, I know I do.

I would definitely recommend for all. It's just light, easy, pure, sweet and beautiful love??.

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enjoyable but also forgettable

I rate series based on my enjoyment of them and since I actually stuck around week after week to continue watching then I can honestly say I enjoyed the show. I am one to prefer to binge a show instead of wait weekly for installments so the fact that I stuck it out means it was worth finding out how the story progressed.

And if you look at the cinematography and the production of everything from sets to costumes then this is a very aesthetically pleasing show to watch. It is beautifully shot and the actors all did a great job with their characters. The OST feels a bit too repetitive for my taste but the songs were nice.

Its the story that weakens this drama. It starts off strong and sets up many obstacles that the main couple will have to face as well as intriguing individual characters among the main cast that make you want to watch the character development. I also like that this is not a slow burn and the main couple spend a good portion of the series actually together. But after all the build up in the beginning then the story loses steam. The male lead goes from gruff and spoiled rich kid to sickly sweet and all of a sudden good at everything. His main opponent/ conflict within the drama as well was his sister but once the reasoning was explained it felt too shallow and then resolved too quickly/ unrealistically.

The last few episodes also felt painfully slow. It wrapped everything up nicely but not in a way that made me feel excited or giddy about it. The ending was honestly a let down as it was so boring. So while this is an enjoyable show, nice to watch, it wont leave much of an impression on you. But if you are in the mood for some quick romantic fluff then I highly recommend as the main couple does have some nice chemistry.

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Perfect

I finished this drama in a week and then rewatched it with my mother. Both of the experiences were good.

The acting and the plots are perfect and on point. The chemistry of the main couple and the secondary one is a masterpiece. The story of Saa-rang and Gu-won were well written and played. There was no misscomunication between them and I love that. The perfect example of a genuine and healthy love.

The relationship between the six and their friendship was beautiful and funny to watch, I loved every scene between Gu-won, Mr.No, and Saa-rang and her friends. The whole kdrama had a great dynamic. The scenes with the grandmother also has a place in my heart.

I reccommend it 100%

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King the Land Has Brought Genuine Smiles To My Face

I just finished binge-watching King the Land for the second time because I couldn't resist knowing how good it was when I first experienced it a few months ago. Upon watching it again, I am glad that I feel about it the same as I did when I first watched.

I've seen a couple of articles saying that the drama didn't do very good and comparing to other shows like Business Proposal, which to me was odd because I actually watched Business Proposal before but after a few months I truly was wondering if I had watched it, I couldn't remember anything and had to look for some scenes to trigger my memory.

But anyways, enough comparing and talking about other stuff, let's get to the review:

— STORY

The plot is nothing extraordinary or even amazing, but it hooked me both times and didn't let go. I never once felt bored or like skipping scenes or even noticing time pass. I loved pretty much everything about the story and how it unfold, with only a few critique here and there.

There's no big cliche moments, or love triangles or "villains" or anything. It's a very simple story but it does so explendid in it's simplicity that made me love it.

— CHARACTERS

Gu Won and Sa Rand are by far the best part of the drama. They are both so lovable, funny, respectful and so mature. The way they interact with each other and their chemistry truly makes you feel in love.

I don't think I can out into words how much I love these two and the pure joy they brought me. I binged the show and by the end of episodes I noticed my cheeks hurting from smiling so much, this happened in almost every episode and also during my first watch. I love that the drama had this affect on me so much and made me feel so happy. That's what a romance drama should be all about.

The other characters also did a great job, specially the grandma and Gu Won's secretary person.

— VISUALS

Everyone and everything looked so beautiful that I cannot think of a single moment or character that looked anything but amazing.

— MUSIC

The music was absolutely fantastic! The kind that touches your soul, makes you feel the love between the characters and that sticks with you throughout days. There were some misuses and overuses here and there, but aside from that it was beautiful.

— RATING

King the Land is an extremely beautiful drama that touched my heart and makes yearn for love like theirs. It is such a beautiful and emotional experience. Although I didn't cry much, the amount of happiness I've felt watching this was everything to me. My hurting cheeks from smiling too much at the screen are proof of it!

Sadly not everyone could enjoy it, but for those of us who did and know how special the show is...

Hermés :)

My personal rating for the show is a very well deserved 9.7/10.

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everything “what’s wrong with secretary kim” failed to do

essentially it’s very similar to “what’s wrong with secretary kim” from the goofy yet insightful subordinate/friend to the narcissistic male lead.

however, “secretary kim” was below decent and lacked in almost every category. king the land is excelling at what secretary kim failed to achieve. the light hearted comedy is actually funny, there aren’t any cringe moments, the romance seems pretty genuine. i can feel an actual connection between characters.

compared to “secretary kim”, or even “business proposal”, the acting is excellent. there aren’t any exaggerated expressions or forced comedy. everything felt relatively natural and genuine to me. the banter was really cute and witty and the characters were smart. there are many tropes in this drama that have been overdone (ie. arcade game trope, stranded, accidentally meets her family etc) but both yoona and junho play their roles so well, it doesn’t feel repetitive.

prior to meeting the love interest in the show, sarang already is dating someone which is something we don’t really see in kdramas. in my opinion she was written really well and fleshed out like a real woman would be. she was hard to win over and she had principles and didn’t drop everything to be with a man, which i admired. her number one priority was always work and it was very evident that nothing could get in the way of that.

junhos character, won is our classic narcissistic ceo. he’s entitled and a douchebag but throughout the show we see him gradually show more kindness and warmth. we see how devoted he is to sarang and how she is his number one priority. even though we’ve seen this character plenty of times, something about gu won is done in a refreshing way.

soundtrack!! soundtrack was perfect. the first time i heard each song i had to download it. came in at the perfect times and was fitting to each scenario.

loved the side characters as well. the best friends and the coworkers i all thorough enjoyed and added to the story and their relationship. the only character that confused me was won’s dad. his motives throughout the show are a little hypocritical at times and i didn’t understand whose side he was on, but i didn’t dislike him. yay!!! this was a great show for me i loved it

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Good if u want only romance!!

Absolutely loveddddd this k-drama so much!!!!!! I was SHOOK by the chemistry of the main leads, and I loved the whole plot of the show itself too, as well as the costuming and sets throughout the show!!!! There was one part of the show that I didn't like which was showing some kind of temple, but thankfully there was no worship or things like that in any of the scenes. Aside from that, this show has suddenly become my top favorite k-drama, and definitely one of my top 3 favorite shows ever (including c-dramas and k-dramas)!!!!! I also really liked the other main characters (the 2 female friends and their storylines, as well as the 2 males and their contributions to the storyline of the show)! The friendship between Gu Won and No-shik (his assistant/friend) was so funny, entertaining, lighthearted, and wonderful comedy relief at certain points haha. Also, the character development of Gu Won was SO GOOD, start to finish he's almost like two different people (his character grew so well in maturity and leadership by the end, and Gu Won did an excellent job at acting as both versions of his character!!!). There was also noticeable character growth by the other characters too which was very nice to see over the course of the show. Another thing I liked a lot is that the friendship between all 6 main characters was so sweet!!!!! The main female lead and her 2 female friends had a very sweet (and funny) friendship group, and as the male characters got integrated into the friend group it remained very sweet with even moreeee comedy lol!!!! I always love a romantic comedy, and this one just had SO. Many. Points. of romance and comedy, sometimes separate and sometimes combined, and I loved nearly all of them!!!!! I am so grateful I had the chance to watch this show partly while it was still airing (I started watching when a lot of episodes had been released, but still had to wait patiently for the last 4). Those cliff hangers really left me anticipating and waiting for the next episodes to release which is such a crazy experience!!!!! Typically I end up watching popular shows way after the fact lol, but I'm happy I was a part of the excitement this time!!!! Also side note, the actors that played the characters really do seem like fun and genuine people in real life which made the show even more enjoyable and sweet!!!! You can easily tell they get along well in real life and it just translates very clearly in the dynamics of their characters and friendships/relationships!!! Aaaaaaa I definitely lovedddd this show and I'm sad it ended, but I'm really glad I got to watch it, and I can't wait until the time when I definitely go back to re-watch in the future!!!!

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